The Strength Conferred By Duty

Matthew 7:24, 26

"Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them,

 I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 

And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth 

them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man,

 which built his house upon the sand:"

         Only a house whose foundations are firm can withstand the storm; and only a life whose foundations are sure can stand the test. Jesus demanded two things. He demanded that men should listen. One of the great difficulties which face us today is the simple fact that men often do not know what Jesus said or what the Church teaches. In fact the matter is worse. They often have a  mistaken notion of what Jesus said and of what the Church teaches. It is no part, the duty of an honorable man to condemn either a person, or an institution, and that today is precisely what so many do. The first step to the Christian life is simply to give Jesus Christ a chance to be heard. 
        He demanded that men should "do." Knowledge only becomes relevant when it is translated into "action." It would be perfectly possible for a man to pass an examination in Christian Ethics with the highest distinction, and yet not be a Christian. "Knowledge must become action; theory must become practice; theology must become life." There is little point in going to a doctor, unless we are prepared to do the things we hear him say to us. There is little point in going to an expert, unless we are prepared to act upon his advice. And yet there are thousands of people who listen to the teaching of Jesus Christ every Sunday, and who have a very good knowledge of what Jesus taught, and who yet make little or no deliberate attempt to put it into practice. If we are to be in any sense followers of Jesus we must hear and do.
        Is there any word in which hearing and doing are summed up?  "Yes", and that word is "Obedience." Jesus demands our implicit obedience. To learn to obey is the most important thing in life. It is such obedience that Jesus demands. It is Jesus' claim that obedience to him is the only sure foundation for life; and it is his promise that the life which is founded on obedience to him is safe, no matter what storms may come. 
        Amen!!

Reading: (Matt. 7:24-27)
               (Luke 6:46-49)
Ref: (HGSB, BSB)

 May God Bless You

And Your Families

Minister Robert A. Lail Sr.

The Cross Life Ministry